Posts Tagged Seattle web designer

If you’re working on, or considering having someone build you a website, then you have to plan, consider what you want, and make decisions. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to make a couple of mistakes that will dramatically affect your website.  Once mistakes are made, they can be difficult to fix, so make sure you go at it right the first time. Here are five mistakes you don’t want to make with your Seattle web designer.

#1 Not Making Plans  

Did you know that you should plan or decide what you want for your website before you hire someone? Decide on a goal that you want to achieve, and then hire your Seattle website designer. Chances are that you can also hire the same company to do your SEO and maybe even social, so that you can begin reaching your goals before you even launch your site. If you haven’t planned, none of that is possible.

#2 Making it Too Complicated  

One major mistake that many people make is wanting a website that is too complex. Sure it may be nice to add feature after feature, but most people don’t want tons of features. They want a smooth and easy to use website that runs as quickly as possible. Modern website design is all about speed and clean lines. Consider those factors as more important than most of the features your site could have. Of course, your website can still do plenty of things; just remember not to try to cram it all on the same page. Remember your web designers are the experts and they know what looks good!

#3 Forgetting to Communicate  

If you don’t talk to your website designer, they will have no idea what you want. Usually it is a good idea to sit down and talk about what you like and don’t like, or tell them about it as you go along. Communicating is the first step to getting exactly what you want so don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Remember to explain why you do or do not like something, so that your designers have something to go on.

#4 Copying Your Competition  

One major mistake that many people make is trying to copy their competitors. Even though you are hiring Seattle website designers, your content should be very different from other Seattle websites. The idea is to stand out from the crowd, not get into a who-can-do-the-same-thing-better fight. While there are obviously some features that you will need, your goal it to point those out, and then find a way to make them stand out from your competitors. Once again, your web designer is the best place to look for ideas.

#5 Rushing Your Web Development 

Many people looking for custom web design want their website to go up as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, while many web designers are fast, it’s never good to rush web development. If you absolutely must have your website up within one or two weeks, consider asking for a theme that you can launch until your custom design is finished. Why? Because a rushed website will never be as perfect as you, or the designer, wants it to be.

If you are planning on hiring a Seattle web designer to work with your website then you have to know that you are getting the best services for your money. Anyone can mock up a website using a WordPress template, but what you need is a truly beautiful and unique website. Finding a web developer in Seattle who provides that isn’t always easy, but the following tips can help you find someone who will suit your needs and create the website of your dreams.

Courtesy

While it might not sound like the most important thing for your Seattle web designer, a courteous professional tells you several things. The first is that this web designer respects you meaning that they are more likely to pay attention to your wants and needs, and therefore create a website that you actually love. The second is also a direct result of respect, you are more likely to get the value or more than the value of what you have paid. If you want a beautiful website from someone who paid attention to what you want, then courtesy, professionalism, and politeness are the first things to look for.

A Strong Portfolio

You don’t want to hire just anyone to do your Seattle website, so don’t hire anyone without a portfolio. A good portfolio includes a range of different websites that you can see screenshots of, and visit the links. What you want to look for is variety, versatility, and of course, beautiful designs. Remember to look at the portfolio, note things you do and do not like about each design, and discuss them with your web designer before having them begin to create your website. This lets the designer know exactly what type of website you like, or don’t like.

A Strong Grasp of Graphic Design

You can notice this on the Seattle web designer’s web page as well as in their portfolio. Graphic design is about color, use of space, use of content, and placement. If the person designing the website does not have a strong grasp of these elements then your website will not utilize each bit of space to its best advantage. Everything from color, to font, to empty space will affect how people perceive your site so you want to use each element to its best advantage.

Questions

While it might be annoying to answer hundreds of questions, a good web designer will do just that. Rather than just reading your bio and looking at your pages, a real Seattle web designer should ask you about your personal beliefs, your company motto, how you want to be presented, and why you got started as a business. There are many questions that can be asked by a web designer, but usually the more the better.

Professionalism and Services

Last but not least, you want to look for a professional attitude and great services. Look for companies that offer strict deadlines, have great reviews, and the services you need. Some web designers can purchase and register a domain to set up your entire website from scratch, others won’t bother with this so you should look around to see who offers the services you need. If they site does purchase the domain for you, make sure it is in your name so that you can move the site at a later date if you like. Some great services you can look for include web design, web hosting, programming, SEO (to rank your site later), and any website specialties such as e-commerce, blogging, landing pages, or email marketing design.

No matter which Seattle web developer you choose, make sure they have the skills and the services to create a truly brilliant website.